(IN): Two crocs at Maharajbagh by Aug 5

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http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4849898.cms Two crocs at

Maharajbagh by Aug 5 Vijay Pinjarkar 3 August 2009, 07:28am IST

NAGPUR: The Maharajbagh Zoo has been asked to acquire two crocodiles from a

defunct zoo in Gopuri on the outskirts of Wardha, about 75 kms from Nagpur.

The other animals to be brought from there include a barking deer, a chital,

and a peacock.

 

Wardha divisional forest officer (DFO) Vivek Khandekar has written to

Maharajbagh Zoo incharge Dr S S Bawaskar to take custody of the animals by

August 5. " We are gearing up to bring the animals with the help of expert

forest officials and some animal handlers. The cages are also ready, "

Bawaskar told TOI. He said two crocodiles will be kept in 150 sq metre

enclosure in the garden. The space is at present occupied by tortoises that

will released in a water body. There is no crocodile in the zoo since 1999

when the lone reptile here died.

 

The zoo controller & associate dean of

agriculture<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4849898.cms#>college,

Dr M M Damke, has already given consent to bring the crocodiles. On

April 15, then principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) B Majumdar

had written to the zoo seeking its consent for housing two crocodiles, about

5-6 feet in length each, the deer each and peacock from a shelter house in

Gopuri. With acquisition of a pair of white tigers delayed for one reason or

another, the two crocodiles will be new attraction at the Zoo. The animal

shelter at Gopuri was managed by one Ashish Goswami, secretary of the People

for Animals (PFA). It was derecognised under Section 38 (H) 6 of the

Wildlife Protection Act 1972, by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), a

statutory body under the Union ministry of environment & forests (MoEF), on

August 11, last year.

 

Goswami then wrote to the Wardha DFO Vivek Khandekar seeking action in the

matter. The PCCF's office sought to know from the zoo authorities about

their interest. After much follow-up from both sides, finally the

acquisition will go through in a few days.

 

It will be after a decade that the city zoo will see crocodiles again.

Earlier, in 1999, a crocodile had escaped from an enclosure whose height was

just three feet. The reptile had sneaked into the nullah at the zoo backyard

but was later caught amid high drama. Now the height of the enclosure has

been increased to prevent such a thing happening again.

 

 

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